Elaborate Lives
by Syracuse1017
Summary: Completely AU...When Sydney Bristow is sent by the CIA to capture her ex-fiancee, her past collides with her present. Which will she choose: the man who is her past, or the man who is her present? With S/V and S/S
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey there everyone! This is my first Alias story, and it is completely AU. There was no such thing as SD-6, and all the characters you know and love began at the CIA (okay, so maybe not _all _the characters you know and love, but not all will be in this story)**

**The title comes from a song in the Disney musical AIDA, and the lyrics are below (the chapter title also comes from AIDA, but you can look those lyrics up yourself if you want)**

**_Elaborate Lives_**

**__**

We all lead such elaborate lives  
wild ambitions in our sights  
How an affair of the heart survives  
days apart and hurried nights  
Seems quite unbelievable to me  
I don't want to live like that  
I just want our time to be  
Slower and gentler, wiser, free

We all live in extravagant times  
Playing games we can't all win  
Unintended emotional crimes  
Take some out, take others in

**And now, on with chapter one. Oh, and I own nothing**

**Every Story is a Love Story**

Sydney Bristow quickly walked down the corridors of the CIA Center of Operations in Los Angeles, curious as to why Director Dixon, the CIA Director of the Joint Task Force and head of the LA office, had pulled her in from her relaxing weekend. She would talk to him about calling her in when she wasn't supposed to be working, as Dixon had been her partner in their early days at the CIA, although Dixon was older than she was. She had always viewed the man as…well, as a mentor she supposed. She had her father, someone whom she had not seen much of since his transfer to the CIA cell in New York City. And she had had many boyfriends over the years, but only two had worked in the CIA. One was her current boyfriend, Michael Vaughn, and the other…well he was her ex-fiancée.

Sydney entered Director Dixon's office and was surprised to see Vaughn there. She gave him a smile, and then shifted her eyes to the other man in the room. Her father was there as well, here all the way from New York. Dixon motioned for the group to sit down, and as he did so the tech guy Marshall Flinkman entered the room, as well as another agent, and Vaughn's best friend, Eric Weiss.

The groups sat around the table and Dixon introduced her father. "Agent Bristow is here because of his knowledge with our most recent target" Dixon however, did not elaborate.

Jack cleared his throat. "Sydney, it will be you and Vaughn's job to locate this target, and bring him into CIA custody."

Sydney's curiosity was peaked. Why would they not mention the target's name? Sydney had been trying to catch her father's eye since she entered the room, but he refused to look at her. Dixon also refused to make eye contact.

"Just who is this target?"

"He is an international assassin, with ties to multiple terrorist groups" Dixon answered.

"And that wasn't an answer at all," Sydney replied.

Not knowing Sydney's past with the target, Vaughn replied "His name is Julian Sark."

* * *

"No," Sydney stated emphatically. "I will not be on this case."

"Syd-" Dixon pleaded. "We need you on this one."

"The answer is no Dixon"

"Sydney, please," her father interrupted.

"No Dad, I won't help bring him in. Send in other people, or better yet no one at all." She turned to Dixon, "Is that all?"

"I suppose," he sighed.

With tears in her eyes, Sydney Bristow left the office.

Vaughn turned to Dixon. "Why won't she do this?"

Dixon looked at Vaughn and answered, "Because Julian Sark is her ex-fiancée"

* * *

_Forty-Eight Hours Earlier_

"Jack, I know," Dixon said patiently on his phone, knowing the other man's objections.

"You cannot make Sydney capture him," Jack replied. "She won't do it."

"And you will?" Dixon asked curiously.

"He broke my daughter's heart. Of course I want the son-of-a-bitch brought in. But despite this, I think Sydney is still in love with him and I don't want her getting hurt."

"Jack, it has been five years since Sark left LA. And it has been two years since he went rogue."

"I know that," Jack said bitterness evident in his voice, bitterness that was directed at a man who had caused his daughter pain. "But I think Sydney still believes he is a good man"

"She doesn't feel betrayed?"

"She is blinded by love, you know that Dixon."

"I still want her on this task force."

"No."

"You do understand I am your superior?"

"She is my daughter"

Dixon sighed, realizing this conversation was going nowhere fast. "We will talk when you get to LA."

Jack responded with a terse "fine" and hung up.

* * *

_Present Day_

Sydney Bristow fell against the cold stone wall of the CIA Operations Center, feeling the tears running down her face. "Julian, what have you done?" she whispered. She could not believe that he was a terrorist, because the Julian Sark she knew never would have done that. Granted, he broke her heart when he was sent on a long term undercover assignment in God knows where. But she had rationalized it by knowing he never wanted to go, that he wanted to marry her, and she had the ring to prove it. She had been his fiancée for six months, and wedding plans were beginning to materialize when he left, and took her heart with him. And as much as she cared for Vaughn, she would always love Julian Sark.

**So, just a recap in case it was confusing. Syd, Vaughn, Jack, Dixon, Weiss, and Marshall all work for the CIA. Dixon is regional director, and Syd and Vaughn are dating. Five years ago, Syd was engaged to Sark, but he left on a long cover assignment. Now he has gone rogue and Dixon wants Syd and the rest of the team to capture him. Hope that helped if anything was unclear**

**Thanks for reading, and I would really appreciate reviews.**


	2. Enchantment Passing Through

**AN: Sorry it took me a while to get this up. I am a little slow with the updates, because I tend to end up reading stories rather than writing my own. oops. I like this chapter, because it has quite a bit of SydSark interaction. Okay, so basically the whole chapter is about their relationship.**

**Thank you to all of you who took the time to review. It really means a lot to me that you did that. **

**Anyway, on with the chapter called _Enchantment Passing Through_ (another AIDA song)**

**Enchantment Passing Through**

Sydney left the Operations Center and went to her apartment. She quickly changed into running clothes and set off for a run around a nearby park to try to clear her head. Suddenly, an idea came to her and she went to the nearest telephone booth to make a call to a number she knew by heart. She just hoped it hadn't changed in the last five years. As she dialed the number, her heart fluttered at the prospect of hearing that sexy British accent.

"Hello?" Sydney's heart flew. The number for Julian Sark's cell phone number hadn't changed. As she heard his British accent, heard the voice she knew anywhere, she froze and forgot what she had wanted to say.

"Hello?" Sark asked again impatiently. He was annoyed by the phone call, as he was a busy man.

"Julian," Sydney said, and Sark's heart stopped. He knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in five years, but he knew it was Sydney.

"Sydney? Is that you?" he croaked out.

"Yeah." Sydney answered quietly. "Listen, Julian, um…the CIA wants you brought in. They say you are an international terrorist. Sark, I just wanted to warn you". Sark stared at his phone in silence. This broken Sydney was not the one he was used to, and it broke his heart that he was the one that broke her.

After a long moment he replied, "Thank you Sydney. I assume they are sending you after me?"

She paused. She was amazed that even after all these years he knew both her and the CIA so well. "Yeah" she said finally. "I tried to say no, but…"

"You're the best" he finished for her. "Don't worry, Syd. I'll be okay."

"I just wanted to tell you."

"And thank you for that. And I probably will see you very soon"

"Yeah," and then she heard something she never thought she would hear again.

"I still love you" Sark said, then with a click, the line went dead.

Sydney's tears bubbled up inside her and then spewed forth. It was all she could do to make it to the nearest bench before she collapsed. He still loved her. Even after all these years. But then anger took over. "Damn you Sark" she whispered. "You left me, you can't say these things to me."

* * *

Sydney was settling in with a glass of wine and a book when her cell phone rang. It was Vaughn, but she let it ring, not wanting to deal with talking to him about the events of today. She knew by now he had to know about her relationship with Sark but she wasn't ready to talk to him about it. She still didn't know why she had called an international assassin who had broken her heart to warn him that the CIA was after him. And she didn't know why his voice could still make her go weak in the knees. Where was her relationship with Vaughn going? She loved him, but not with the passion she had loved Sark so long ago. Or maybe it wasn't so long ago that she loved Sark.

Sydney finished her wine, and realized she had read one sentence of her book about 20 times. She sighed, and set the book down, realizing that this was a fruitless effort. Suddenly, she heard her front door creak open, and Sydney reached for her gun.

"Vaughn…" Sydney said, carefully getting up. "Vaughn is that you?"

When the figure emerged into her living room, Sydney gasped and slowly lowered her gun. "Julian? Is that you?"

"Sydney," the smooth British accent was music to her ears. "You look good." And she did. The years they had spent apart hadn't seemed to change her at all. She still was as drop dead gorgeous as she had always been.

"You do too," And it was true. He did look good. A little older, but just as sexy as he had been before. But Sydney stopped her thoughts, and her anger at him took over. "What the hell are you doing here Julian? The CIA wants to arrest you, and as an officer of that agency, I should be bringing you in right now"

"And yet you called me to warn me that they were looking for me."

"I don't know why I did that," Sydney said, feeling her resolve waver. At the beginning of their relationship it had been all flirty banter, but now he was making her weak in her knees.

He stepped closer so that they were about two inches apart. She was sure he was going to kiss her, but instead he leaned close and whispered, "I think you do"

"Julian," she breathed.

He chuckled then took a few steps back. Sydney immediately went red, embarrassed that he had that kind of effect on her. He was after all supposed to be her enemy. She immediately went defensive. "Why should I not call the CIA right now?"

"And tell them what? Tell your precious boyfriend Vaughn that you are still in love with a wanted terrorist?"

"I'm not still in love with you," Sydney said, hoping it came out forcefully. She could tell, however, by Sark's smirk that it hadn't come out as harshly or as forcefully as she had wanted. "Will you tell me why you became a wanted terrorist?"

His ice blue eyes went down to his shoes. "I'm not, Syd."

That was not the answer she expected. "What?"

He sighed. "I'm part of a black ops division of MI6. MI6 approached me after I finished my deep cover assignment for the CIA. They wanted me to infiltrate the Covenant, a rising terrorist organization. I agreed, and went undercover as a member of the Covenant. Syd, I need you to have the CIA stop looking for me."

Sydney couldn't believe her ears. Here was the man she tried so hard not to love, telling her that he was not the terrorist that everyone thought he was. But try as she might, she had been betrayed by him, and could not, or would not, believe him.

"Sark," she said, reverting to the impersonal use of his last name, and although his façade was still in place, she could see she had wounded him. "Sark," she began again, partially because she knew it would hurt him again. "I can't trust you right now. I don't know how to."

"Sydney, please. I love you."

"YOU LEFT ME!" she screamed at him, then forced herself to calm down. "You left me, Sark, you can't say these things to me."

And then he decided to show her he loved her the only way he knew how. He kissed her passionately, and she let him. She wrapped her arms around him and allowed his tounge to explore her mouth. Each relished in the other's familiar taste, something neither of them had tasted in the last five years. Sark pushed her rather roughly against the wall, wrapping his fingers in her hair. He was going to pull away, he was going to stop there and go no farther, although God knows he wanted to, but Sydney whispered against his mouth "Bedroom" and all rational thought flew out the window.

**So, there it is. And you can all use your imaginations to see what happens in the bedroom, because I am bad at writing that haha. Well, I appreciate reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so, so sorry that this took so long. To be honest, I'm not quite sure why it did. I just came to college this year, and I think that with the adjustment, I just didn't have time to write like I wanted to. And I know its no excuse, and I am really sorry. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and the next one will be up more quickly, I promise.**

**Chapter Three**

_Four Weeks Later_

Sydney walked down the cool hallways of the CIA operations center, worried about running into her father. She remembered the night she had made one of the biggest mistakes of her life by sleeping with Julian Sark. He had left the next morning, no awkwardness, but a promise to see her again. And four weeks later she had heard nothing from him and was left to ponder his revelation that he was MI6. The part of her that was still in love with him wanted to believe him, but the CIA agent in her doubted him. Her director told her he was a terrorist, and she wanted to trust both Dixon and Sark. And now she was in deep water.

Her stomach was acting up again and she rushed to the nearest bathroom. As the contents of her stomach ended up in the toilet, she knew she would have to tell her father what was going on. And probably Vaughn, although that was not a conversation she was looking forward to having.

As luck would have it, as she left the bathroom she ran into none other than her father. He probably was not the first person she would have wanted to see, but he would do.

He saw her pale face, and asked hesitantly, "Sydney, is everything all right?" She didn't respond. Jack Bristow was not used to getting into personal territory, even with his daughter, and the next words came out rather awkwardly. "Do you need to talk?"

He was not prepared for the tears that began streaming from her eyes. "I'm pregnant Dad" she said in a whisper.

* * *

Jack steered Sydney into his immaculate, if temporary, office. Dixon had set him up with a rather spacious office for his time in LA, although if Sydney was pregnant, he might be transferring to LA permanently. He didn't like being in New York, he couldn't keep an eye on her, and if she was pregnant he needed to keep an eye on her.

Jack was not used to having personal discussions. Put him in a briefing and he would excel. But when it came to talking to his daughter about her pregnancy, he was awkward.

"Have you told Vaughn yet?"

Sydney sighed heavily, and there was indecision in her eyes. She sighed again, opened her mouth, and then shut it. Jack wanted to prod her, but he decided against it. She opened her mouth again, and this time words came out. "It's Julian's" she said quietly.

Jack Bristow was visibly taken aback. He was not prepared for that, but quickly he covered it up. He was after all, a CIA agent, and a damn good one at that. "When did you see him?"

"A month ago."

"Why did he decide, after five years, to show up on your doorstep?"

She sighed again, then blurted out, "I called him."

Jack wasn't sure he had heard right. "You what?"

"I called him to warn him that the CIA was after him," she said in a rush.

Now Jack was angry. "And why," he said slowly, "would you go and do something as stupid as that?"

"I don't know," she said looking at her shoes.

"And did he tell you a concocted story about him being a double agent?"

She looked up at her father in surprise. "He told me he was a double agent for MI6, sent in to investigate the Covenant, and he told me to get the CIA off his back."

"And do you believe him?" he asked, half afraid to hear the answer.

She looked back at her shoes. "I don't know."

"Sydney, that man betrayed you, he betrayed all of us."

"I want to believe him, Dad," she said defiantly. "I just haven't gotten the chance to look into it yet, and I wouldn't really know where to start." She was trying to get her father to help her look into Sark's claim because she didn't know if she could do it herself. In the last four weeks she had tried, in vain, to convince herself she was no longer in love with Julian Sark.

"What do you want me to do?" Jack asked hesitantly, although he knew exactly what she wanted him to do, he wasn't sure he wanted to do it. Julian Sark had hurt his daughter badly, but he had still seemed a decent man, and a damn good agent. Jack had been as surprised as anyone to hear he had gone rogue. He had looked into, unbeknownst to Sydney, possible explanations. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he had found nothing that corroborated Sark's story. But he loved his daughter, and he could see the pleading in her eyes, and he knew that he had to look again.

"Dad, you know what I am asking. Please," she asked, her voice almost breaking. She knew her dad would do this, she saw the wavering in his eyes that could convey so much but only when he was with her.

He relented. "I'll see what I can find."

"Thank you Dad." And with that she turned to continue her day, and avoid Vaughn.

* * *

Unfortunately, she could only get through about two hours without running into her boyfriend. He cornered her in the hallway and tried to give her a kiss, but she turned her head and he just got her cheek. He pulled back, a little bewildered.

"Syd, what's wrong? You seem distant today."

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine," she said, perhaps a little too brightly since he eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you sure?" And then the tears came. "Damn you hormones," she cursed as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "Syd," he said, "Syd, what's the matter?"

"I'm pregnant," she said, and his face visibly brightened.

"Sydney, that is great news, why are you crying?"

"It's Sark's," she said softly, and refused to look at him. He paled a little then turned away from her.

"How could you Sydney? How could you do that to me, to this country?" He knew he probably shouldn't be playing the patriot card, but he couldn't help it. She had slept with the enemy, with her ex-fiancée, with Julian Sark, the current target of a CIA investigation.

Her eyes snapped to his. "Don't you dare pull the patriot card Vaughn," she said dangerously.

"Sydney, why did you do it?"

She knew her next words would hurt him, but they spewed out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I still love him," she whispered. With those words, Vaughn turned and left the hallway without a word. Sydney sank to the floor of the CIA headquarters for the second time that month, and began to cry, all the while cursing Julian Sark.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, real life got in the way. Hopefully I will have more up relatively soon! Please review, as it is greatly appreciated!**

The next day she was called into the briefing room with Dixon, Jack, Vaughn, Marshall and Weiss. She was careful to avoid eye contact with Vaughn. He had tried calling last night, but she had ignored him, not wanting to talk about their conversation earlier yesterday. So it was rather awkward as she tried to avoid both his and her father's eyes.

Dixon nodded to Sydney as she took a seat. She sat down cautiously and turned her eyes on the screen. A picture of a fairly handsome man, probably in his late forties, was projected there.

Dixon began the briefing. "This man is George Polanski. He has been financing international terrorism for the last fifteen years. But now he wants more. He has decided he has an interest with Rambaldi. He is looking to buy an artifact tomorrow night in Spain, Madrid to be exact. We need to both ID the buyer and keep the artifact from reaching Polanski's hands. Conveniently, Polanski is having a party at his home tomorrow evening. We expect that that will be where he makes the buy. Vaughn, Sydney, you two will infiltrate the party. Sydney you will acquire the artifact while Vaughn will identify the buyer. Weiss, Jack, you will provide back up. The plane leaves in four hours."

"Is that all?" Sydney asked.

"Yeah, Syd could you stay a moment please?" She nodded, and waited until the rest of the people had filed out before turning her attention to Dixon.

"Sydney, I know we have not been as active in our hunt for Julian Sark as we wanted to be, but I wanted to let you know that starting next week, bringing him in will be our top priority. I expect you to be on board with this."

"Dixon…" she said warningly.

"Sydney, I am your superior and I don't want to order you to, but I will."

"Fine, I guess I will."

Dixon smiled. "Thank you Sydney." Without a word, she turned and exited the room.

* * *

The plane ride to Madrid was relatively quiet. Weiss and Jack could feel the tension between Vaughn and Sydney. Jack, of course, realized that Sydney must have told him about her pregnancy, but Weiss was confused as to what was going on. Jack went up to the front of the plane and Weiss took the opportunity to ask what was going on.

"Vaughn, Sydney, what is going on?"

Vaughn sent a dirty look towards Sydney then spat, "She is sleeping with a terrorist."

She shot him a glare, "Slept. One time."

He snorted, then turned back to Weiss who was watching the exchange with disbelief. "And then decided to get herself knocked up."

"Do you think I wanted to get pregnant Vaughn? Do you think I want to be carrying Julian's child?"

"Oh, so it's Julian, is it?"

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Do you think I've never called him by his first name? I _was_ going to marry him."

Weiss had heard enough. "Okay both of you, stop it." He had meant to stop the discussion, but he had questions for Sydney. "Syd, I thought we were supposed to bring him in."

"I called him to warn him," she said quietly, looking at her shoes.

Vaughn was angry. "Why the hell would you do that?" Sydney continued looking at her shoes, avoiding his heated gaze. When she didn't respond, he warningly said, "Sydney…"

"I'm sorry," she replied without lifting her head.

"And that wasn't an answer at all."

She lifted her head and Vaughn could see tears in her eyes. "Because I still love him" she said softly.

Whatever Vaughn wanted to hear, it definitely was not that. His eyes narrowed, and he was obviously angry. Weiss placed a comforting hand on Vaughn's shoulder, and Vaughn seemed to calm down a little.

Sydney broke eye contact, and muttered, "I should review the mission." Jack returned a few minutes later, and the rest of the plane ride was made in silence.

* * *

Without saying anything, she placed her arm on the crook of Vaughn's elbow as they entered the party. Her red dress had halter straps and it came just above her knees. Her blonde wig was piled up on her head elegantly. They entered the ballroom and began dancing, not close, but not far enough apart to raise suspicion. After about ten minutes, Sydney couldn't take it anymore, and nodded to Vaughn, telling him she was going to go after the artifact.

She headed towards the bathroom, and climbed over the barrier in front of the stairs. Quietly, she climbed to the third floor, then crept down the hallway to where she knew Polanski's study was. When she got in there though, there was a surprise for her, one she was not expecting.

Julian Sark turned, hearing someone at the door. He froze, until Sydney entered, looking stunning in a red halter dress. He visibly relaxed, and went back to opening the safe. He heard her intake of breath behind him, and a smirk formed on his handsome features.

"Sark," she said impersonally, and his smirk immediately disappeared. He turned from the safe as the device beeped quietly.

"I thought we were back to Julian?" he asked questioningly, and obviously a little hurt.

She avoided his gaze, and began again. "Sark, what are you doing here?"

He was hurt, but tried not to let it show. "The same reason you are, love."

"Don't call me love," she said through gritted teeth. He was about to retort when the device beeped faster, indicating the safe would be opening in thirty seconds. He turned his attention to the job at hand, and once the safe opened he picked up the artifact and turned to leave. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

Sydney stood there, pointing a gun at him. "Drop the artifact, Sark."

He chuckled. "Sydney, Sydney, Sydney, there is no need to point a gun at me."

She ignored his remarks, and repeated herself. "Drop the artifact, Sark."

Then he did what she never expected. "Take it Sydney," he said offering it to her. She looked visibly taken aback. He took a little bit of pride in being able to surprise her.

"Why would you do that, Sark?" She was utterly perplexed as to why he would compromise his mission for her.

"Because I love you," he said softly. "And the CIA needs it more than the Covenant does."

"Julian…" she purposely chose to use his first name and was rewarded by his eyes brightening. "You don't have to do this for me." Guilt began twisting in her stomach, guilt that she wasn't telling him about his child. She knew she should, but she couldn't compromise his objectives, whatever they were. She doubted he would hurt her, or their unborn child that he didn't know about, but his enemies might. She had enough enemies of her own.

"I do," he insisted. Then he placed the artifact on the desk and crossed to her, lowering his mouth to hers. He kissed her deeply, his tongue meeting with hers in a duel for control. After a few moments, she pulled away, surprising him. They were both slightly breathless, but her eyes were filling with tears.

"I can't," she whispered. Taking the artifact, she turned and left the room, leaving Sark to wonder what had just happened.

* * *

Sydney continued down the stairs, wondering what had just taken place. She had kissed the father of her child, but had pulled away. And why were her eyes filling with tears? "Damn hormones" she muttered, not for the first time since she had found out she was pregnant. She snuck out the emergency exit, not setting off alarms as Weiss had disabled them earlier. She exited into the cool night, and her eyes searched for a black van. She spotted it, and entered quickly, to see Weiss, Jack and Vaughn inside. She handed the artifact to her father.

"Any problems?" her father asked. She shook her head. Her encounter with Sark would be kept to herself.

* * *

The plane ride home was uneventful. The silence that overtook the plane immediately after they boarded it was tense and deafening. Sydney stared at her laptop as they flew home, trying to write her debrief so that once she got home she could just go to bed. The only problem was, the words wouldn't come. She didn't know what to write. She knew she had to leave out her encounter with Sark, but she didn't like lying to Dixon. She sighed heavily and began to write her debrief, avoiding any mention of Sark.

After handing in her debrief to Dixon she went home. She half-expected to see Sark there on her doorstep, but she didn't. A part of her was disappointed, and then she was angry at that part, the part of her that wanted to see a wanted terrorist. She showered quickly, then fell into her bed. Sobs wracked her body as she realized that her child would probably never get to know their father.


End file.
